Maryland board hears Phase 2 of MSDE strategic plan, emphasizes reading and accountability

Maryland’s State Superintendent presented Phase 2 of the department’s strategic plan on Wednesday, laying out five priorities — kindergarten readiness, third‑grade reading proficiency, students arriving to high school on‑track, graduating college‑ and career‑ready and expanded supports — and previewing the metrics MSDE will use to measure progress.

The superintendent said the plan grew from a statewide engagement push that produced more than 27,000 survey responses and regional “gallery walks,” and noted the department will disaggregate targets by race, income, disability and low‑performing‑school status. He described the plan as the framework the State Board and MSDE will use to focus policy and implementation, and announced a Phase 3 process to set targets and identify flagship programs via time‑limited design charrettes and pilots.

Phase 2 frames four enablers that MSDE will use to reach the priorities: publish more useful data and reporting tools; ensure classrooms provide quality curricula and multi‑tiered supports; raise the stature of teaching (including career ladders and compensation); and scale social‑emotional learning and wraparound supports. The superintendent highlighted literacy as the top immediate priority and said expert review teams will visit a sample of schools each year to rate curriculum and instruction.

Board members asked staff to ensure the public report card and tools are transparent and usable; several requested repeated, gender‑disaggregated reporting and clearer connections to the Blueprint’s Accountability and Implementation Board measures. The department said Phase 2 is not the final word: Phase 3 (February–June) will test flagship strategies and set targets for three‑ and five‑year timeframes.

MSDE said final targets and implementation programs will be released next school year, and it invited districts, higher‑education partners, business leaders and families to take part in the charrettes and follow‑up convenings. The department also plans a public release of the Phase 2 engagement and strategic plan booklets and a series of school “profiles” to show what successful practice looks like at the building level.

The board and superintendent emphasized that the plan will be judged by progress on the state’s lowest‑performing students: “All means all,” the superintendent said, adding MSDE will hold itself to the performance of the state’s most struggling schools and students.

What's next: MSDE will move into Phase 3 design charrettes and publish additional data tools; the State Board will review proposed flagship programs and targets and expect periodic updates on milestones and interim progress measures.